My Free Power Macintosh G5

[Certificate of Excellence]

Power Macintosh G5 Dual Core (2.0) Specs (Late 2005, M9590LL/A, PowerMac11,2, A1117/A1177*, 2023): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the Power Macintosh G5 Dual Core (2.0). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.

everymac.com

That's the exact build based upon the serial number.

I have this model as well. It is my favorite PMG5 that I own. A very capable Powermac even today in 2024 running Sorbet. If it were me, I’d buff the corrosion and then paint/seal those bits with a silver or gray paint pen to help its looks assuming the guts are ok but that is me.
Don’t forget to clean & repaste the north bridge heatsink on the backside of the logic board before you put everything back together.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

1970 here. My birthday is in two weeks.

Happy birthday, Old man.

 

[eyoungren]

Happy birthday, Old man.

Get off my lawn!

 

[barracuda156]

Video cards upgrades are very limited for this model, and even fewer choices if you want dual DVI. I think radeon x1900 and nvidia quadro fx4500 are only options there.

There is also NVIDIA 7800GT or w/e its name.

 

[Doq]

Well, sorta, but it would be nice to have a reasonably secure and acceptably convenient messenger.

IRC over SSL is still king.

 

[redheeler]

I did a refurb on one of these about two years ago. You'll want to replace the PRAM battery and possibly let it sit plugged in overnight before it will play nice. You'll want to do a PRAM reset as well, there should be a button on the motherboard somewhere that will do it.

Of note, you can upgrade a dual core 2.0 or 2.3ghz with a single physical (dual core obviously) processor from a 2.5ghz unit. You need to run AHT on it afterward to recalibrate its thermals but they work just fine as a dual-core 2.5ghz.
Video cards upgrades are very limited for this model, and even fewer choices if you want dual DVI. I think radeon x1900 and nvidia quadro fx4500 are only options there.
I found a really obscure IBM SATA-II card with a socketed ROM which I was able to flash with a firmware from a Seritek SATA-II card, to my knowledge that is the only bootable SATA-II card for those machines.

Those graphics cards are the best to be compatible with any PowerPC Mac. Radeon X1900 is slightly better IIRC and was even sold as a retail upgrade, that ”G5 Mac Edition” version is rare but PC versions can be flashed with the Mac firmware.

 

[barracuda156]

Radeon X1900 is slightly better

This is debatable. It may be marginally better in some specific benchmarks and marginally worse in another. FWIW, Mac version of X1900 has only 1/2 memory of Quadro FX.

 

[barracuda156]

IRC over SSL is still king.

I’d rather use KDX or Hotline, but problem is that nearly no one uses pre-historic protocols like IRC and Hotline, which sorta defeats the very point of a messenger.

 

[Tratkazir_the_1st]

I think radeon x1900 and nvidia quadro fx4500 are only options there.

7800GT single slotted, reflashable from PC versions. I think it's better. About SATA - SAS is easier to find, LSI1064 or 1068. There is thread about them here .

 

[Dronecatcher]

This is debatable. It may be marginally better in some specific benchmarks and marginally worse in another. FWIW, Mac version of X1900 has only 1/2 memory of Quadro FX.

I never got any benefits from my Quadro:

Do I Need A Better Graphics Card....

That's the question I've asked myself again and again when I've suspected I could just get that little bit more performance out of my machine..... So, spying a NVIDIA Quadro FX4500 on ebay for a reasonable(ish) price, I decided to find out. My existing card was a NVIDIA Geforce 6600 which is...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[barracuda156]

I never got any benefits from my Quadro:

Do I Need A Better Graphics Card....

That's the question I've asked myself again and again when I've suspected I could just get that little bit more performance out of my machine..... So, spying a NVIDIA Quadro FX4500 on ebay for a reasonable(ish) price, I decided to find out. My existing card was a NVIDIA Geforce 6600 which is...

forums.macrumors.com

I have three of the four (6600, 4500 FX, X1900, did not see much point to get 7800 GT as well), but did not run any specific tests. Generally speaking, having more RAM must reflect in improved performance somewhere, though obviously needs not to be seen in any particular benchmark.

 

[Dronecatcher]

I have three of the four (6600, 4500 FX, X1900, did not see much point to get 7800 GT as well), but did not run any specific tests. Generally speaking, having more RAM must reflect in improved performance somewhere, though obviously needs not to be seen in any particular benchmark.

The Quadro is meant to offer benefits for gaming and CAD - two things I didn't engage in.

My Quad was a workhorse machine doing design work in Adobe Creative Suite so got thoroughly exercised and I never felt any advantage from having the Quadro installed - indeed, I quickly replaced it as having an extra fan whirring away became irritating.

I always found optimal software trumped hardware upgrades in PowerPC times (within reason.)

 

[dataharvested]

The deeper I went on the tear-down, the more corrosion I found. I live in Florida and I'm thinking that the owner must have used it in a location without air conditioning and it was exposed to humidity and possibly even salt spray from the ocean if they lived on the beach. Likely for years if not it's entire lifetime judging by what I found.

I put some of the components up on eBay, maybe someone else has a need for them. But parts with corrosion like the ones pictured below are going to be dropped off for recycling.

I have a higher degree of appreciation for the engineers at Apple who designed this system now that I have been through all of the parts. They should have used more aluminum and stainless steel however.

Game over.

Thanks for all the fish!

 

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

The DVD shield is unplated, natural spring steel and rusts from being finger oils/touched or breathed upon or from humidity in the air.

As for that power supply... it's probably fine beyond a potential for cap replacement as is typical for this era.

I've seen nothing else surprising.

Are you going to repaste the controller on the back of the mobo?

 

[eyoungren]

Are you going to repaste the controller on the back of the mobo?

OP has already put parts from the G5 on eBay. Probably no reason to repaste if that is the case.

 

[Joniz]

You can probably fit an M-series Mac Mini in there and speed up quite nicely.

 

[barracuda156]

You can probably fit an M-series Mac Mini in there and speed up quite nicely.

You can even fit a RISC-V board in there, but neither will be PowerPC.

 

[dataharvested]

The DVD shield is unplated, natural spring steel and rusts from being finger oils/touched or breathed upon or from humidity in the air.

As for that power supply... it's probably fine beyond a potential for cap replacement as is typical for this era.

I've seen nothing else surprising.

Are you going to repaste the controller on the back of the mobo?

You're right, it's very possible the parts with corrosion may have functioned. But in the condition the components are in I don't feel I'd want to invest time into fixing it only to have a poor condition Power Mac. Someone has already purchased the power cord and Airport module/antenna. I have a parts Mac Pro that I need to break down as well, those parts I'm keeping for spares on my personal use CMP's. Then off to the recycling drop-off I go with the two cases and other bits.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Assuming the feet are ok, I’d make one of those Klaus Geiger Powermac benches if I had two cases. Those are pretty cool looking.

 

[dataharvested]

Assuming the feet are ok, I’d make one of those Klaus Geiger Powermac benches if I had two cases. Those are pretty cool looking.

Both this Power Mac and the Mac Pro’s case feet are squashed and split from the case side.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Yeah I see that now in the first pics - such a drag. At least you can make some money off your eBay component sales which is nice. Best of luck with that.

 

[dataharvested]

Yeah I see that now in the first pics - such a drag. At least you can make some money off your eBay component sales which is nice. Best of luck with that.

Thanks.

 

[kave]

I remember the speculation about the G5 back in 2002-2003. At the time I was solidly PC, although my chosen profession had me working with Macs. At this time, a PowerMac G4.

I remember thinking how ugly these looked and how spot on someone was about the G5 looking like a cheese grater. I own three G5s, and a Mac Pro now, plus another G5 with a damaged case if you want to count that one. It's 21 years later and I still do not share your sentiment.

Great Macs, but I've never seen them as 'nicest looking'. The design has grown on me to an extent over the years, but I mainly came to own these Macs solely for the performance they offered. The best I can say is that I got used to the look over time.

Sorry OP, not to put down your free G5.

Each to their own I guess. From a technicians view the G5 and onward are so great built. Many PC chassies will make my hands bleed, cables everywhere etc. I am changing my mind, the Cube is the nicest looking PC ever

 

[eyoungren]

Each to their own I guess. From a technicians view the G5 and onward are so great built. Many PC chassies will make my hands bleed, cables everywhere etc. I am changing my mind, the Cube is the nicest looking PC ever

I don't deny the G5 is built well. Apple was forced, due to the heat of the chip to actually design a case with an eye towards thermal control. Unlike the cases of the G4 where function suffered for form.

I just have never cared for the look of the G5. For me, the Quicksilver is the nicest looking. Alas, I've had the Quicksilver and the thermal design inside is pretty bad.

 

[IRC4Ever]

I let it run a bit longer and it went into leaf blower mode.

I used to support a student lab that had 15 G5s. As I recall, a firmware update fixed this issue.

Good luck, from a PowerMac 7300/200 rescuer.